Last night on the Twitters, Cole asked:
While they are distracted by the peotests let’s rip down all the confederate monuments, change the street and scool names, snd change the names of military bases.
— John Cole (@Johngcole) June 2, 2020
Well have I got an announcement for you!!!!!
Last year I connected with LTC (ret) Troy Mosley who is the founder and president of Citizens Against Intolerance. I came across his op-ed, reprinted here, on why it is important to rename the 10 US Army bases that are currently named for Confederate generals and reached out with some information for him. This led to a couple of emails, then some phone calls, and since last fall I’ve been functioning as a senior advisor to Citizens Against Intolerance as he and several other volunteers got things up and running. Now that all of our paperwork is in order and our website is finalized and running, I’d like to invite everyone to check the group out. Our About page is here and says:
Citizens Against Intolerance LLC was established to mitigate or end all forms of discrimination in America. Intolerance which grows out of ignorance foments hatred and is destructive. America’s founding fathers set out to do something never before done in the world, create a society where one’s birth right did not determine their future. These lofty goals were expressed in America’s declaration of independence and codified in the Bill of Rights. This idea was so novel that even the early framers did not agree entirely to whom America’s great promise was intended. It is our belief that the framers were deliberately vague in expressing precisely who were the intended benefactors of America’s great promise. It is our contention that the framers left the heirs of America’s promise to be determined by future generations.
There is a gap between what is specified in America’s founding documents and what is experienced daily by America’s citizens. Women are not paid equal wages as men for the same work. Black Americans receive prison sentences 20% longer than white Americans for the same crime, even minority service members are several times more likely to be court-martialed in the US armed forces than white service members. Black women are 2-6 times more likely to die in child birth. The inequality in America is expressed in the educational achievement gap, the wealth gap, and there are even socio-economic determinants to health. Citizens Against Intolerance will work to forge relationships with like-minded organizations to establish public law and policy that eliminates or mitigates the effects of racism, sexism and homophobia in America and the world. To this end we are committed to:
MISSION
To advocate for full inclusion that is just, verdant and equitable, and provide organized resistance to all forms of discrimination by advocating for public policy and laws that remove barriers which support systematic discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity as well as all other forms of discrimination.
VISION
To forge a society where all citizens believe their potential is unlimited by race, gender, or sexual orientation bias, where American institutions are replete with examples of the diversity and inclusion across all races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations and identities.
VALUES
Inclusion: The development and promulgation of best practices that promote the participation of diverse populations and the identification and removal of systemic barriers that prevent the participation of entire segments of the population. Love: The unconditioned admiration for humanity. Integrity: Doing what is right. Scholarship: This organization places a premium on the pursuit of knowledge, and the advancement of evidence-based technologies, tactics, techniques and procedures.
We are up on Twitter at: @CitizensAgains8. On Facebook (not my idea given how everyone knows my thoughts on Facebook) at: @DiversityandUnity. And we have an Instagram account to, but I can’t for the life of me find the link, so you’ll just have to trust me.
And, of course, we have a petition for you all to sign!
You all know what to do!
Open thread!
Sandia Blanca
Done, done, and done! Thanks Adam.
Adam L Silverman
@Sandia Blanca: Thank you!
frosty
You know what to do … Stay hydrated, right?
This is a really good initiative.
CaseyL
Wow – excellent!
Website looks very very good!
Petition has been signed.
I look forward to seeing where the organization goes!
Japa21
Worthwhile big foot. Petition signed.
Adam L Silverman
@frosty: Always! I just finished my post dog walk in the heat and humidity glass of coconut water with a splash of pineapple and am now moving to my 64 ounce water bottle. With a brief interlude to shower the grime off.
Adam L Silverman
@CaseyL: Thanks!
Adam L Silverman
@CaseyL:
Well someone asked if I’d be willing to serve as the group’s VP and we can all agree no good could come of that…//
Adam L Silverman
@Japa21: Thanking you!
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
How does one become a card-carrying member?
Adam L Silverman
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I think there’s a sign up for regular updates widget at the site. And, of course, you can sign the petition.
Mary G
Twitter follower #8! (I don’t do FB or Insta). Sounds good. Tweeted to all 275 followers. On to the website
ETA: Graphics are top notch, but it’s threadbare, not thread-bear.
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: Thanks!
Miss Bianca
Oh, I really wish you hadn’t put the petition on Change.org…after what those fuckers put my friend Alison through, and after all the trouble I had getting off their mailing lists after that, I vowed I would never, ever get near them again. : (
ETA: But I will definitely check out the website! Good going, you!
Emma from FL
I don’t do social media but I signed the petition.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@frosty:
I thought it was “Stay Frosty”.
Jackie
Signed!
Kattails
Thanks, glad you’re doing this. So, OK I signed but then read Miss Bianca’s note, run-roh hope that doesn’t get too annoying. We’ll know who to go after if so. (raised eyebrow)
Adam L Silverman
@Miss Bianca: Wasn’t my call.
Adam L Silverman
@Emma from FL: I don’t do social media either, but we’ve got it, so I might as well link to it.
And thanks!
Adam L Silverman
@?BillinGlendaleCA: That too!
Adam L Silverman
@Jackie: Thanks!
Adam L Silverman
@Kattails: Thanks!
I have no idea how change.org works. I’m not really a petition guy, but I would expect you’d be able to just unsubscribe.
Kattails
Oh, didn’t you mention that your Mom is staying with you for now? Say hi to her for us (waves).
debbie
Signed.
Adam L Silverman
@Kattails: The Mominator is out there! She can’t be bargained with. She can’t be reasoned with. She doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear! And she absolutely will not stop, ever…
Adam L Silverman
@debbie: Thanks!
Laura Too
Signed petition and FB-notified all my friends. Thanks for everything you do Adam. I was worried that you hadn’t been around. Read you earlier post and I’m glad you feel better. I really look forward to hearing your thoughts on current events. Let me know if you want any local info on Minneapolis. I’m 2 1/2 blocks from the (now defunct) third precinct. You have my email if you need anything.
Joy in FL
Followed on Twitter and signed petition. Will check out website. Thanks for doing this : )
Kattails
@Adam L Silverman: and nor should she. ;-)
HRA
Signed
HRA
Signed
Adam L Silverman
@Laura Too: Thanks.
Finally beginning to feel normalish.
And if you’ve got good local info, email it across.
Hope you all are well and safe.
Adam L Silverman
@Joy in FL: Thanks!
Adam L Silverman
@Kattails: You’ve met my mom…//
Actually, I was very lucky in the parent lottery. I got two great ones. Though, it would not have killed them to have come with trust funds…
Adam L Silverman
@HRA: Thanks!
Adam L Silverman
@HRA: And thanks again!
SectionH
Following on Twitter. Petition site froze with a white screen. Will try again later.
Adam L Silverman
@SectionH: Thanks!
Lyrebird
Hi, just a suggestion for more for the website… though maybe I missed something.
This tweet would be a great lead-in to a whole page on what that federal legislation should look like: is Jeffries’ bill enough, a good start, etc? What about Val Demings’ suggestions?
I love My President’s comments in his Medium article, but I can’t say I followed them all… he was saying state level is where we should look… If y’all disagree, more details would help support that.
Also, I know you have some thoughts on the militarization and demilitarization of the police or something like that.
I know, as someone who cannot be out on the streets right now due to caring for others, I would be glad to have an info sheet I can send to my elected officials… was going to print out Rep. Demings’ op-ed as a starter.
Adam L Silverman
@Lyrebird: I’ll see what I can do.
Felixmoronia
Signed and chipped in to spread the word. Thank you for this Adam.
AJ
Adam this is awesome. Excited to follow, support, and participate
AJ
@Adam L Silverman:
Question: is there a diverse team working on this, with participation from a variety of communities and backgrounds?
Suggestion: I would amend the phrase “America’s founding fathers set out to do something” to refer to “America’s founders.”
Yes, it’s accurate that they were men, but I feel the whole mythology of ‘founding fathers’ erases a lot of other people’s contributions to the start of the country.
TriassicSands
Could we rename Ft. Benning?
How about Ft. Sherman instead?
@AJ:
Agreed. “Framers” and “founders” — no need for “fathers” at all.
That’s being generous. We could call them “founding racists” or maybe “founding sexists,” which probably would have been true of 100% of them.
tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat)
Signed the petition and signed up for the newsletter. It’s time for positive change. I hope this is one step in making it happen.
dimmsdale
Signed, contributed, and on the mailing list. Thanks, Adam. Looking forward to more.
oopzwtf
Monday night, our military used a helicopter named after a people we once tried to exterminate, to intimidate people we once enslaved.
Are the names really where the problem lies? Would dusting crowds off with a UH-72 Cute Widdle Puppy have made everything good?
StringOnAStick
Done. Great idea, Adam!
zhena gogolia
Looks good. I signed the petition.
tallred
This has been needed for so long. Signed and donated. Thank you.
Another Scott
Thanks for the pointer. Donated.
Some comments/suggestions:
Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
Adam L Silverman
@AJ: Yes. The president and founder of the group is African American. The treasurer of the group is African American. One of the other senior members of the board is an African American vet. One of the other senior members is female. And then there’s me and another white guy.
As for the language, there’s only so much I can do. I advise. I don’t make the final decisions.
oopzwtf
@Adam L Silverman: Have all the people in your group spent significant time in military service?
Does your group have thoughts on renaming criteria? What will you do to try to prevent a bad name from simply being replaced by a differently bad name?
Adam L Silverman
@oopzwtf: The president an treasurer are retired lieutenant colonels. One of the others served through captain/O3 and is now finishing her doctorate while serving as an Army civilian. I’ve been supervisory senior Army and DOD civilian as a mobilized civilian. The other two do not have any, as far as I know prior military service.
As to the renaming: we’ve done case studies for each of the bases in question, as well as for buildings and rooms/facilities named for Confederates at bases that aren’t named for them. As in in depth histories as to how the names were chosen and why. We’ve also come up with a range of possible replacements that are also based on in depth histories of those individuals. We are in the process of making contact with a variety of civil rights groups that work on behalf of Hispanic and Latinx Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans as we’d like to be able to recommend replacements from across the breadth and depth of America’s diversity.
oopzwtf
@Adam L Silverman: Thank you! That info completes the picture and is quite helpful.
Adam L Silverman
@oopzwtf: I wouldn’t have gotten involved if Troy wasn’t legit.
Another Scott
BlueVirginia.US:
It’s just a start, but a very important start.
Elections have consequences.
Eyes on the prizes.
Cheers,
Scott.